(Ecofin Agency) - In Tunisia, the issue related to collective land management which was to resolved over five years is about to be solved. The Assembly of Representatives of the People (ARP) has in fact adopted during a plenary sitting on July 28, 2016, a draft law on the status of collective lands in Tunisia.

Amended on various articles by the government and presented during the vote by the Minister of State domains and Land Affairs, Hatem El-Euchi, the bill which was finally adopted is consensual. Article 5 of the new bill states that “financial operations related to collective land sale, leasing or integration to a capital must be subject to the approval of management council and of the region’s governor, according to terms fixed by the draft”.

Regarding land conflicts and property security, the new draft indicates in its article 6 and 10 that “collective lands are managed by management councils in each governorate, provided that these councils are elected by the concerned land users. A council’s role is to arbitrate in conflicts related to collective lands. Ownership of collective lands can be granted to the group of people that exploit the lands individually, as cooperatives or as agricultural companies”.

The new law should help regularize collective lands in 11 governorates, namely Gabès, Kairouan, Mahdia, Sidi Bouzid, Kasserine, Gafsa, Tataouine, Médenine, Kibilli, Tozeur, Nabeul and Bizerte.

Souha Touré